


Play it by Ear

by thedrunkenwerewolf



Series: Heirverse: Phase 2 (Can We Survive This?) [17]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Feelings, Fluff, Happy, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Inspired by Fanfiction, M/M, Married Life, Music, Piano, of a fanfiction, story cross references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25666699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedrunkenwerewolf/pseuds/thedrunkenwerewolf
Summary: A companion piece to HK's piece 'Hear My Prayer' Gin composes a song on the piano for Sousuke to surprise him.
Relationships: Aizen Sousuke/Ichimaru Gin
Series: Heirverse: Phase 2 (Can We Survive This?) [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1304048
Kudos: 3





	Play it by Ear

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Hear My Prayer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19765861) by [HitsugayaKuchiki_HK (HisagiKirigakure)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HisagiKirigakure/pseuds/HitsugayaKuchiki_HK), [thedrunkenwerewolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedrunkenwerewolf/pseuds/thedrunkenwerewolf). 



> Wordcount: 1953
> 
> Business: I own nothing except heirverse, Tsuku and Cherry.
> 
> a/n: Inspired by a conversation with HK about her piece Hear My Prayer. And somewhat a belated thankyou for writing it. She is a gem and I do not deserve her.
> 
> Again if you read this please review. Even if that's just "cool story bro, needs more unicorns". Reviews really do keep us writers writing and sharing our work. And in my case generally mean more stories for this fandom and ship :) and please check out HK's piece as well! She deserves pretty reviews too!

**Play it by Ear**

Gin sighed contentedly and stretched out in bed. God it was good to wake up and not have to go to work – or anywhere else, even. And he'd been looking forward to this time off for _weeks._

It was even better knowing he'd have the house all to himself, because Sousuke had to go to work. He could laze about _all day_ if he wanted to, only he had plans for how to use this time off.

"Have a nice day at work," Gin called out to his partner, only a little smugly. Sousuke forced a smile at him as he dressed.

"I'll try, but you _did_ choose the busiest week to have off."

Gin just shrugged. "Hey, you approved the holiday," he smiled back. "Not my fault ya didn' check th' calendar."

"Yes, more fool me," Sousuke replied softly, giving Gin a quick kiss. "Enjoy your lazy day, love."

"I will," Gin answered. "I'll have stew ready when you get back."

Sousuke smiled a little brighter at that. "Wonderful. I'm going to need some. Today will be hectic."

"Don't ya mean 'shit'?" Gin asked, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. Sousuke chuckled.

"I was trying to be polite,"he answered. "Anyway, I better go. The old coot's insufferable when I'm late."

He kissed Gin again and put on his haori, ready to slap on his 'benevolent Captain Aizen' face as soon as he stepped out the front door.

"Good luck!" Gin called after him.

"Thankyou!" Sousuke called back, already on his way down the stairs. When Gin heard the front door close and lock, he lay back in bed, quietly fussing Tsuku and Cherry who la sprawled out beside him on Sousuke's now empty side of the bed. He'd give it another half hour before he got up. Then he'd prep the vegetables, sort the stew, and then get down to the business he'd booked this time off _for._

. . .

After a morning spent showering, singing in said shower (poorly, though Sousuke would argue otherwise), getting dressed, feeding the foxes, ad peeling ans cutting up the vegetables for the stew, Gin was finally ready to get down to business.

He walked through to Sousuke's study, the room that housed the man's beautiful mahogany upright piano. Which took up most of the little room.

Gin approached it quietly. It was an intimidating beast, at least Gin thought so. But that might've been because he'd never really tried to play it before. Then again, he'd never had a reason to try before now.

He sat down on the piano bench, carefully lifting the lid to expose the row of ivory keys. He ran his fingertips over the top of the piano and looked at them. _Not a speck of dust,_ he mused. _But as expected of Sousuke._

He sat on the bench and experimentally pressed one of the keys, enjoying the pleasant sound. Then he pressed another. And another, and another. He'd managed to get a good few notes before he found a dud. A wrong note in his melody. He frowned and started over, trying a different key in place of the dud. Composing his melody entirely by ear.

He didn't even bother with any of Sousuke's sheet music. His partner had tried to teach him to read it once, but he just couldn't get the hang of it for love nor money. So he couldn't compose the traditional way like Sousuke. He just had to play it by ear, hope for the best, and commit the keys pressed and the order he'd pressed them n to memory.

It went without saying there were a lot of duds. But Gin knew this wasn't going to be easy. He really didn't know how Sousuke did it. But he was determined to accomplish it himself. He wanted to do something that would show his Sousuke how he felt. Especially after all the shit they'd been through. With the voice, with Momo, with... well, fucking _everything_ at this point. He wanted Sousuke to know he loved him, that he wouldn't trade what they had for the world, and that Sousuke was worth sticking around for. Even though it was goddamn hard at times.

Of course he knew that Sousuke was still beating himself up over everything. Most notably the affair, though more often the Monster's assault on him using Sousuke's body. Darkness Within indeed. Though Sousuke never stopped apologising for it. The most recent apology springing to Gin's mind as he played.

" _I'm sorry," Sousuke told him for about the thousandth time since the incident, after Gin had woken up from yet another nightmare, drenched in cold sweat. The man still feeling guilty and ashamed._

" _N-not your fault," Gin panted, slowly catching his breath and realising he was safe. Though the look on Sousuke's face told Gin his husband didn't believe him._

Gin shook his head. Well, if Sousuke refused to believe his words, he'd have to believe his music. After all, if Gin poured his heart and soul into his piece, surely his feelings would come through. And then Sousuke would have no choice but to accept them as truth.

Or at least, that's what Gin hoped would happen, anyway.

After some time, Cherry padded in and yipped, nearly making him leap out of his skin in fright. She startled him so much he jumped to his feet and slammed down on the piano keys, making an ugly jarring sound.

When he turned around, sheepish, she sat looking at him, wagging her tail. Her empty food bowl on the floor in front of her. Carried in from the kitchen.

Gin looked at her, and then at the clock. "Oh, it's dinner time. Guess I lost track a time, huh?"

Cherry gave a yip in answer and Gin got up off the bench, beckoning the white fox to follow him. She trotted along behind him, carrying her food bowl, her fluffy white tail high in the air.

. . .

Later in the evening, the door opened and Sousuke walked in. he was immediately besieged by a pair of happy, yipping white foxes, and he reasoned there were worse things to come home to as he bent down to pet them and give the requisite number of belly rubs.

Gin poked his head out of the kitchen. "Don't need to ask who it is, huh?"

Sousuke laughed. "Not with this reception."

"Well take yer shoes off an' come sit down. Stew's almost ready."

Sousuke did as he was told and sat down at the kitchen table while Gin poured the stew and dumplings into bowls and lad them on the table.

"So how was your day?" Sousuke asked.

"Aint that my line?" Gin teased, smiling.

"Not today," Sousuke answered. "You do much today?"

"Eh. Not really," Gin shrugged. It was hard – so hard – not to ruin the surprise. But Gin held his tongue. Chewing on a mouthful of stew to keep from talking. "Just the usual."

Sosuke smirked. "Lazing around then. Lazy fox."

"Hey, I earned my holiday. I deserve to laze around."

"Too true," Sousuke smiled warmly.

"Ya sound like ya could use some time off yerself."

"That I could. How about we laze around together next time?"

"Deal," Gin grinned.

When the bowls were empty and the leftovers put away in the fridge for another day, Sousuke gave a huge yawn.

"Tired?" Gin asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"A bit," Sousuke smiled. Though even that looked tired.

"Fancy an early night?"

"Please."

Gin smiled softly and kissed his partner's temple. "Mm. Cuddles and movie in bed?"

Sousuke smiled a little bit brighter at that. "You read my mind."

. . .

Curled up together in bed with a film on was one of the best ways to spend an evening, Gin decided. Even though Sousuke didn't even make it through half of it before he fell asleep, still trapped in Gin's embrace, with his arms around Gin like he was a giant teddy bear. Cherry nosed the sleeping Sousuke and Gin had to stop her.

"Cherry," he warned. "He's tired. Let him rest."

The fox whined softly and lay back down. Gin stroked her head softly. "You can play tomorrow."

Gin then yawned widely himself, switching off the TV and deciding he better get some kip too. After all, he had a song to compose. So snuggling down with his partner and getting comfortable, Gin closed his eyes and joined Sousuke in sleep.

. . .

The rest of the week passed by in this fashion. Sousuke getting up and going to work. Gin pretending to lie-in and getting up to compose his song. Eating dinner together when Sousuke got back. They were a picture of domestic bliss – if one could ignore the guilt and pain over his past mistakes Sousuke carried around with him. It bothered Gin his partner was feeling this way. But he would soon chance that.

By the end of the week, Gin felt confident enough he could play his composition from memory, and figured it was time to show Sousuke. All he had to do was pick the right moment. Something Gin had been working on over the years.

Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself.

Gin woke up on Sunday morning to find the bed empty, and heard soft piano music drifting through the house. He walked downstairs to find his partner playing again, and Gin smiled. It'd been so long, Gin was beginning to fear he'd never play again after what happened. So he stopped in the doorway to listen.

The music was soft. The tone melancholy like the withered leaves of autumn and their meaning in the flower language. It was filled with heartache and regret, yet there was love in there too. And lots of it.

But there was a lot of pain, too. Gin could feel it in the man's spiritual energy. So much so that it was somewhat a relief when the heartwrenching music stopped. Even if it was beautiful.

Gin hated it when his partner was in pain.

Especially if it was self-inflicted.

He quietly moved closer and sat beside his husband on the piano bench. "May I?" he asked, not really waiting for an answer as he aligned his fingers with the ivory keys and started to play.

He was hesitant at first, having never played for an audience before. Even if that was an audience of one. But as he played on, his confidence grew, and his music warned up into something wonderful. Expressing all the love he felt for Sousuke, who was sitting beside him in complete amazement. So that by the time the song finished, all Sousuke could say was "How?"

Gin just gave a coy little smile as he faced Sousuke. He was a heliotrope, turning towards his Sun. "I may not know the notes, but I know when something sounds right," he said softly, hoping his other half would grasp the meaning. "I just experimented a little while you were at work."

Then he kissed his partner on the cheek. "I'll go make us some tea. You can carry on with what you were working on now."

Gin got up and left Sousuke to return to his composing, hearing the noise of paper being screwed up into a ball and tossed onto the floor on his way out. The music drifting through the house as he made his way down the stairs a hell of a lot happier than it was when he went in.


End file.
